The Shanxi Brands China Tour in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, which just came to a close, on Aug 26, saw 1.24 million yuan worth of sales and 65.45 million yuan worth of contracts, giving a real boost to Shanxi brands on both the mainland and in Hong Kong and Macao.

The four-day event had plenty of Shanxi province's cultural heritages on display for the first time in Guangzhou stop, giving visitors a look at its craftsmanship, such as Guangling paper-cuts, Pingyao lacquer, Xinjiang lacquer ware, and Jishan mother-of-pearl lacquer. There was also a tourism exhibit, newly added, for the tour's Guangzhou stop, where many people stopped by to ask about travel routes in Shanxi.

There were 43 Shanxi companies taking part, with more than 1200 products on display. The Shanxi Brands China Tour is the most influential event of its kind to be hosted by Shanxi in recent years. The first and second stops of the tour were Beijing and Hohhot, capital of Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Of all the three stops, the Guangzhou one has seen the largest number of contracts. Shanxi brands have been active in exploring new markets in the Pearl River Delta area or Hong Kong and Macao and in product promotions and increased communication with Shanxi's Guangzhou office and the Shanxi chamber of commerce in Guangzhou province.

Edited by Roger Bradshaw